Jean-Claude Brisseau on Filming Sex, Violence, and Beauty

In a 2006 interview with artpress, filmmaker Jean-Claude Brisseau discusses his controversial methods for filming sexual scenes, his latest film 'Les Anges exterminateurs', and the publication of a book of interviews with Antoine de Baecque, 'L'Ange exterminateur' (Grasset). Brisseau defends his use of erotic auditions with actresses, which led to a legal trial, as a necessary research to stylize sex sequences akin to Hitchcock's murder scenes. He describes the nine-hour rehearsal for a three-way sex scene in 'Les Anges exterminateurs', shot on a budget of 4 million francs over 24 days. Brisseau aims to use sensual emotion dramatically, like Hitchcock used fear in 'Psychose', and insists on filming beauty, not degradation. He cites Lubitsch's 'Angel' as a model for balancing emotion. The DVD releases of his early films 'Un jeu brutal' and 'De bruit et de fureur' (Carlotta) also mark his return to public discourse.